Configurations: Crystallizing contingency

Abstract

Abstract Configurations comprise assemblies of technological and nontechnological components, including human factors, built up to meet local contingencies. Examples are drawn from robotics, production systems, CAPM, and IT applications. A possible metric is outlined. Unlike generic systems , configurations do not evidence particular dynamics of development. They may represent an early stage of an overall life‐cycle, with a generic mature phase. The participation of users at various levels, familiar with local contingencies, is necessary to build configurations. User knowledge, job design, and human factors are not adjuncts, but essential inputs to the innovation process, helping to crystallize contingencies into novel artifacts.